As restrictions and stricter border controls have disappeared, the drugs have returned. Hundreds of drug labs are being shut down, new substances being discovered every week. In 2021, 51 new drugs were reported.
– For me, what stands out in our analysis of drug trends in 2022 can be summarized as: Everywhere. Everything. Everyone, says EMCDDA chief Alexis Goosdeel.
With more than 22 million users, cannabis is still the most common, before cocaine, MDMA and amphetamines. Around one million people in the EU use heroin or other opioids.
The report points out that the use of apps and encrypted services that emerged as a way to access drugs during the pandemic is likely to continue.
The EMCDDA also notes that it is too early to say how the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan will affect heroin trafficking, but that it could lead to an increase.
They have also taken a closer look at the war in Ukraine, which is predicted to affect the smuggling routes.